A federal court case involving a former Tierra Rejada Valley couple accused of owning an escaped tiger that was shot and killed in Moorpark last year has hit another snag.

U.S. District Judge George H. King has thrown out the recently submitted signed plea agreements of the alleged owners of the tiger, Gert “Abby” Hedengran and Roena “Emma” Hedengran, until a prosecution issue is resolved.

King questions whether some of the charges the couple face are violations of criminal statutes or more properly heard as regulatory violations, according to court records.

Abby Hedengran had agreed to plead guilty to six counts, including four misdemeanor charges for transporting exotic cats in enclosures of “insufficient structural strength” and in a manner that could cause them harm; exhibiti

ng exotic cats without a license; and keeping the animals in facilities that couldn’t prevent their escape, according to court records summarizing the plea agreements submitted Aug. 21. The remaining charges, according to the complaint, are felonies: making a false statement to a federal authority, obstruction of justice and witness tampering.

Emma Hedengran had agreed to plead guilty to the same misdemeanor charges minus the exhibiting without a license charge.

King has called into question only the misdemeanor charges and suggests that they could be violations of administrative rules, subject to an administrative hearing before the Department of Agriculture. If so, punishment would be in the form of fines rather than prison time. It does not affect the felony charges Abby Hedengran faces, which are still intact, nor indicate the case could be thrown out.

“It’s better to figure it out now than it is to convict them and then find out later through the appellate process at the U.S. Court of Appeals that this was never a crime and have the convictions reversed,” said Alfred Vargas, a Ventura lawyer not connected with the case but familiar with federal court proceedings.

The matter is not unusual, but merely an area of untested law, he said.

Laurie Levenson, a Loyola Law School professor and former federal prosecutor, agreed, saying it’s always good when there is thorough consideration of a case.

“It’s an indication that they’re a bit in uncharted territory and they want to make sure they are on the right track,” she said.

The couple were to appear in court Sept. 5 for the change of plea hearing, but that was pushed off pending resolution of this latest issue.

Lawyers have until Sept. 25 to submit briefs arguing whether the couple violated the criminal code or administrative rules.

The Hedengrans were at the center of controversy during a weeklong search for the exotic cat in February 2005. The 352-pound tiger was found in a city park and shot and killed by wildlife officials out of concern for public safety. Authorities alleged the animal belonged to the couple, who had recently moved to the area with nearly two dozen exotic cats, and that the animal escaped two weeks before the search began. A ranch worker’s sighting prompted the search.

The couple now live in Nevada.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Johns, the prosecutor in the case, did not return repeated calls seeking comment.

Additional Info

Review Big Cat Rescue

Big Cat Rescue is a 4 Star Charity

Big Cat Rescue is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, FEID 59-3330495. Florida law requires that all charities soliciting donations disclose their registration number and the percentage of your donation that goes to the cause and the amount that goes to the solicitor. We do not utilize professional solicitors, so 0% of your donation goes to a professional solicitor, 100% goes to Big Cat Rescue. Non-program expenses are funded from tour income, so 100% of your donations go to supporting the cats and stopping the abuse.

A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION FOR BIG CAT RESCUE, A FL-BASED NONPROFIT CORPORATION (REGISTRATION NO. CH 11409), MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE 1-800-435-7352 WITHIN THE STATE OR BY VISITING www.800helpfla.com. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.

Get the Big Cat Rescue Credit Card

The new Big Cat Rescue Visa® Platinum Credit Card is here! This card, provided through Beneficial State Bank, offers competitive rates and reward points that can be used for travel and merchandise. Also, a percentage of every purchase you make with the card is donated back to Big Cat Rescue to support the cats. This adds up and is a GRRRREAT way to support the cats at no cost to you. For details and to download a one page application please visit www.BigCatRescue.org/card